A popular carnival will be marking its centenary this year with an exhibition that honours the event’s rich traditions and creativity.

The 100th Moretonhampstead Carnival takes place at the end of August with the parade on Thursday August 28.

In the lead up to the event, an exhibition will display a colourful mix of carnival props and costumes from across the decades and photographs capturing the joy and atmosphere of past celebrations. It is aimed as reflecting on the shared experiences that have shaped the town’s community over the years.

The exhibition will also feature the carnival frieze – a series of striking collages - created by children from Moretonhampstead Primary School during their arts award after school club. These collaborative pieces were inspired by the bold colours of Matisse and the rhythms of traditional carnival music.

A special highlight of the exhibition will be the official first display of the Moretonhampstead community carnival banner – a beautiful textile piece co-created by local residents through workshops led by artist Melinda Schwakhofer. These sessions, filled with shared stories and stitching, were generously funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Admission to the exhibition, which takes place in the Green Hill Building at the top of Fore Street in Moretonhampstead, is free. The exhibition will be open from 10am until 4pm between Wednesday and Saturday from August 13 to August 30.

Moretonhampstead Carnvival’s history will also be the subject of a photo and film exhibition, organised by the Heritage Society and Green Hill Arts in the town’s Parish Hall at 7pm on bank holiday Monday, August 25.

Carnival celebrations take place throughout August and include a 100th anniversary cream tea, a food and drink festival, Morris dancing and a fete and fun day.